


Farewell

by MikazukiMunechika305



Series: Right Before It Ends [1]
Category: Saiyuki Gaiden
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-18 01:53:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5893615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikazukiMunechika305/pseuds/MikazukiMunechika305
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The rebels release Goujun when they start to fight their way to the gate between Heaven and the Lower World.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Farewell

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything at all! Sadly...

The blade of the sword barely touches my throat, but yet it’s there, an unforgettable threat.  
“We’ll be going, now,” Tenpou tells me with a gentle voice, almost teasing.  
“Where do you want to go?” I reply. _They don’t have a place to go after all._  
He smiles at me. “I’m not going to tell you. Sorry, Goujun-san.”  
“Why are you kidnapping your superior officer?” I change the question. I’m not scared of his sword the slightest bit.  
“I could say ‘because it’s fun’ now, but I don’t think that would be an appropriate answer,” Tenpou hums thoughtfully. “I guess a more matching answer could be, ‘because if we didn’t, Li Touten would just order the armies to come in and kill us.’ You’re basically our life assurance, Goujun-san. In addition, I want to avoid anyone thinking you were involved into our plot.”  
A smirk darts across my lips and I let out a small sigh. “You’re not going to tell me about your plans, huh?”  
“Nope~ you’ve heard more than enough of them, I guess. Since when are you so interested in what we do?”  
“Even if you’ve kidnapped me, I’m still your superior. I’m the one who will have to stand in for you, after all. For not keeping you in control, mostly.”  
The sword disappears from my throat and is sheathed in Tenpou’s scabbard.  
“The entrances are all closed, right, Kenren?”  
“They are.”  
_Are they really…?_  
“Konzen, Goku, are you ready?”  
“…Yes.”  
“Yeah, Ten-chan!”  
_How can a little child be so cheerful about this? Doesn’t he know what’s about to happen?_ I wonder, but he’s probably only trying not to show his fear.  
“Very well. Goujun-san, if I may ask you to follow me. Kenren, please.”  
Instead of Tenpou’s sword on my throat, I now feel Kenren’s gun in my back, gently pressing to force me to walk forward.  
We walk down the stairs like this; Tenpou in the front, I’m walking behind him and Kenren makes sure I don’t run away or try to attack them by pressing his gun into my back—not like that’d be necessary since my hands are bound. Walking behind him are Konzen Douji and Son Goku.  
Because we’re not walking very fast—Tenpou seems to be pretty calm about this whole situation, as if he had it under his control completely—it takes some time to get down to the basement in which a library has been built decades ago.  
“By using this secret passages, you can even borrow some nice books from the library!” Tenpou exclaims almost happily and Kenren sighs, “You know, Tenpou… ‘not returning them at all’ isn’t the same as ‘borrowing them.’”  
_So this is farewell._  
I can’t say that I don’t care for them at all.  
They are my subordinates, and I’m their superior, and I’ve already freed Kenren when Li Touten has punished him.  
Contemplating it from this point of view, I’m partially at fault for what is happening to me now.  
“I’m sorry,” Tenpou’s voice cuts through my thoughts and I up from the ground into his eyes. “It seems you’ll have to wait here for a while.”  
“It’s fine,” I reply coolly.  
“Saa, let’s go, then,” Kenren smirks. “It’s just about to begin.”  
_Should I…?  
_ “If that’s the case,” I speak up when both General and Marshal are turning their backs to me, “report properly!”  
Immediately and without any hesitation, the two of them turn back to me synchronously, saluting just like they always used to.  
“Marshal of the First Unit of the Western Army of Heaven, Tenpou!”  
“General Kenren of the same!”  
I swallow hard; they **have** meant something to me after all, and this is harder for me than it would be if they just resigned from their positions during a more peaceful time… or, at least, not when they’re considered Heaven’s enemies.  
“As of now, the two of us resign from our current positions. We withdraw ourselves from any responsibility and any unit!”  
They’re completely synchronous again and I lower my head, acknowledging their resigning, closing my eyes briefly.  
When I open them again and look at Tenpou and Kenren’s eyes, I can clearly see that they are full of resolution and strong will.  
And Tenpou’s eyes tell me, ‘ _We’re trusting you, Dragon King Goujun of the Western Sea. We’re leaving everything to you._ ’  
That’s everything I can read there, and it’s not only because this is what I want to hear from him.  
Once again, I lower my head, this time less than the first time, and Tenpou lifts one of the corners of his mouth to a tiny smirk.  
Turning around, he just lifts his right hand as if to wave at me and Kenren does the same with his left hand.

“Goujun-sama!” I finally hear voices after what feels like an eternity.  
I can barely feel my hands anymore—my bounds aren’t tight at all, and if I tried, I’m sure I could free myself from them, but this is the least of respect I can offer towards my subordinates.  
“They didn’t kill you!” the soldiers call out in relief.  
_They had no reason to._  
“…They didn’t. I need to speak to Li Touten, now.” I’m not going to tell him that I want him to order retreat to the Heavenly Army because I want him to spare my subordinates’ lives.  
I’m going to tell him that I want him to order retreat because it’s just pointless to start a war because of four men wanting to leave for the Lower World now.  
That’s only partially the truth, but he doesn’t have to know everything. I don’t see him as someone I’d be owing an apology or an explanation for whatever my subordinates or I have ever done, even although he is my superior now.  
It doesn’t take me long to get an audience with him and I kneel before him although I despise the idea of kneeling in front of someone like him.  
“Ah, you’re back, Goujun. Unharmed and in one piece, as I see?”  
“Yes,” I reply calmly. “I have a request, Li Touten-sama.”  
“Let me hear it.”  
“…Please order retreat to the troops chasing after the rebels.”  
He furrows his eyebrows and mocks me, “Did you change sides, Goujun?”  
“Why would I?!” I ask him, my eyebrow twitching angrily. “Of course I didn’t. It’s just pointless to start a war in times like this, isn’t it?”  
“They are a threat to Heaven, especially the child. And Marshal Tenpou and General Kenren could easily immobilize the Heavenly Army, if they just wanted to. I won’t discuss about this with you now.”  
I swallow hard and lower my head. “As you wish, Li Touten-sama.”  
“Ah, right. This is my next order to you: Kill the rebels, Goujun.”  
“…I understand.”


End file.
